Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-11-23
The Old Homestead.


J in the corridor of the st. James. The
gentleman stopped. shook hands with
his friend, and replied, ave been
home to see my old father and mother
the first time in 16 years, and l tell
you, old man, / wouldn't have missed
that visit for all my fortune"
kinder good to visit your boyhood
home, eh|
"You bet. Sit down. l was just
thinking about tho old folks, and feel
talkative. If you have few moments
to spare, sit down, light cigar, and
listen to the story of a rich man who
had almost forgotten his father and
mother.
They sat down, and the man told
his story.
How I came to visit my homo hap
pened in curious way. Six weeks
ago went down to Fire Island fishing.
| had lunch put up at Crook d
Nash's, and you can imagine my as
tonishment when opened the hamp-
er to fnd package of crackers wrap
ped up in piece of newspaper. That
newspaper was the little patent inside
country weekly published at my home
in Wisconsin. read every word of
it, advertisements and all. There was
Geo. Kellogg, who was a schoolmate
of mine, advertising hams and salt
pork, and another boy was postmaster.
BY George it made me homrsick,
and determined then to 60 home,
and 60 home I did.
"In the first place l must tell you
how l came to New York. l had
tiff with my father and left home. I
finally turned up in New York with
dollar in my pocket. / got a job run
ming freight elevator in the very
house in which am now a partner.
My haste to get rich drove thoughts
of my parents from me. and when l
did think of them the hard words
that my father last spoke to me rank
led in my bosom. Well, I went home
| didn't see much change in Chicago,
but the magnificent new depot in Mil
.waukee thought was an improve
ment on the old'shed that they used
to have. 1t was only 30 miles from
Milwaukee to my home, and l tell
you, John, that train seemed to creep.
l was actually worse than a school
boy going home for vacation. At last
we neared the town. Familiar sights
met my eyes and, darn it all they fill
ed with tears. There was Bill Ly-
mans red barn, just the same; but,
great scott what we're all the other
houses We rode nearly a mile be-
fore coming to the depot, through
houses where only occasionally I saw
one that was familiar. The town had
grown to ten times its size that it
was when l went away. Not a
face in sight that / knew, and / start
ed down the platform to go home. In
the Office door stood the station agent.
I went up and said: 'Howde, Mr..
Collins p
"He stared at me and said !: You've
got the best Of me, SIR
81 told him who l was and what
had been doing in New York, and he
didn't make any bones in talking to
me. Said he: It's about time you
came home. You in New York rich,
and your father scratching gravel to
get bare living
II tell you, John. it knocked me all
in heap. I thought my father had
enough to live upon comfortably.
Then notion struck me. Before 60
ing home ! telegraphed to Chicago to
one of our correspondents there to
send me 81 900 by first mail. Then
got my trunk in Mr.. Collins back of
flee, and put on an old hand-me-down
suit that | used for fshing and hunt
ing. My plug hat replaced by soft
hat, took my valise in my hand, and
went home. Somehow the place did
not look right. The current bushes
had been dug up from the front yard
and the fence was gone. All the old
locust trees had been cut down and
young naples planted. The house
looked smaller somehow. But went
up to the front door and rang the
door bell. Mother came to the door
and said: we don't wish to buy any {
thing to-day, sir
at didn't take me a minute to sur I
vey her from head to foot. Neatly
dressed, John, but patch and darn {
here and there, her hair streaked with {
gray, her face thin and drawn. Yet
over her eyeglasses shone those good
honest eyes. l stood staring at her
and then she began to stare at me. l
saw the blood rush to her face and
with great sob threw herself upon {
me and clasped me about the neck
hysterically crying: It's Jimmy, it's
Jimmy I
"Then cried, too. John. I just broke I
down and cried like baby. She got